Game apparatus.



PATBNTED FEB.10, 1903. G. E. MBLLBN. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1902.

.6fm/Qa f/@z/Az N0 MODEL UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MELLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME AP'PARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formng'part of Letters Patent No. 720,533, dated February10, 1903.

Application tiled June 30, 1902. Serial No. 113,837.` (No model.) Y

fo @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. MELLEN, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new, useful, and Improved GameApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this speciiicatiomin Which- Figure l is a longitudinal verticalsectional view of a game apparatus embodying the features of myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Corresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicateAlike parts.r

The object of my invention is to provide a portable game apparatus to beplayed with balls and other elements, and more especially adapted foruse in bowling, said apparatus being intended to be placed upon a dooror other level surface upon which the balls may be rolled to theapparatus, all of which is hereinafter more Vparticularly described, andspecifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,` a represents generally a framework of woodor other suitable material having side pieces or walls h b, a back c,preferably vertical, or substantially so, and a flange or overhangingportion d, extending forwardly from the back c. Theinner wall of theback c is lined with a padding e to form a cushion for cushioning theballs, as hereinafter stated. A portion f of the bottom is raised, asshown, above the level of the respective ends, and upon said levelportion are placed spots g, arranged substantially in the orderindicated in Fig. 2. At or near the rear end of the raised portion f Iattach to the Walls l) b by means of pivot-pins or screws h supports e',which are intended to stand normally in a Vertical position, as shown,and are connected by means of a suitable cross-piecej. Stretched betweenthe uprights t' 'i are parallel wires 7c 7c, directly beneath thecross-piece j. Loosely suspended from or hinged to each of said wires bymeans of loops Z lare a series of hanging gates m m, which are free toswing rearwardly upon said wires independently of each other; but theforward gates are prevented from forward movement by means of a commonstop n, Fig. 1. A portion o, preferably made of sheet metal, forms aninclined plane at the front, up which the balls are rolled to the datportion f, upon which the spots g are located. Upon the latter may beplaced a number of pins or .other elements p to be played upon by meansof balls no, projected up the incline o, the impact serving to carry theball and one or more pins beneath the gates, where they are stopped bycontact with the cushion e.

I have found in practice that where a single gate is used instead oftwo, one behind the other, the ball, if projected with considerableforce, will rebound beneath the -gate while the latter is yet raised andbefore it has time to resume its normal-position. This objectionabletendency is, however, entirely overcome by the use of two sets of gates,as the impact of the bottom of the forward gate upon the rear one actslike a blow upon the former to force it forward instantly upon thepassage of the ball, thereby forcing it to its normal position inadvance of the rebound of the latter. Moreover, the advantage of using aseries of gates in alinement is equally important. vWere a single gateextended between the walls h b, it would be liable to be obstructed byone or more pins orballs lodging behind the gate before all the balls ofa given inning were played; but with a series of adjacent gates thiscannot occur, inasmuch as they are independent of each other and each iswide enough to admit the passage of a ball.

In order to prevent the balls or other elements after having passed thegates Yfrom rolling forward and obstructing the gates, so as to preventor interfere with the passage of other balls, I cause the bottom portionw behind the gates to be lowered, so as to form a q, said edge part wbeing inclined rearwardly, shown, which causes the balls to roll backand rest normally against the rear wall.

As stated, the uprights 'L' t' are pivoted at the bottom. The object ofthis is to enable said uprights to be knocked down or moved to ahorizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thusrendering the device more compact and less liable to injury when not inuse or when packed for shipment.

Springs r, having inwardly-bent ends s, are secured to the outer Wallsof the structure, the parts s being arranged to pass IOO through theopenings in said walls and into bores t, formed in the uprights t',thereby serving to normally lock said uprights in a vertical position.

A stop n serves to prevent the forward movement of the front row ofgates, while leaving them free to swing back, and a similar stop i; isprovided to limit the backward movement of the rear gates, therebypreventing the balls from being thrown out above the rear wall.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a game apparatus, astructure having back and side walls but open at the front, a raisediiat surface between the front and rear, an inclined planeleading fromthe front upwardly thereto and a series of independently-swinging gatesarranged side by side across said device interposed between the frontand rear.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a structure open at the front andprovided with back and side walls, abottom having a raised portionbetween the front and rear, an inclined plane leading from the front tosaid flat portion, and a series of independent gates arranged to swingupon horizontal axes between the front and rear. I

3. A game apparatus consisting of a structure open at the front andprovided with rear and side walls, a bottom havinga raised level portionbetween the front and rear adapted as a support for movable elements, aninclined plane leading upwardly from said open front to said levelportion, a series of independent gates suspended from the tops uponhorizontal axes, said gates being located between the front and rear ofsaid structure and means for preventing the forward movement of saidgates.

4. A game apparatus consisting of a structure open at the front andprovided with rear and side walls, a bottom having a raised levelportion between the front and rear adapted as a support for movableelements, an inclined plane leading upwardly from said open front tosaid level portion, and a plurality of independent gates arrangedparallel to each other across said structure between front and and rear,said gates being arranged to swing upon horizontal axes.

5. A game apparatus adapted to be utilized in the playing of games withballs and other elements, consisting of a structure open at the frontand provided with rear and side walls, a bottom having a raised levelportion between the front and rear adapted as a support for movableelements, an inclined plane leading from said open front to said levelportion, and two rows of independent gates arranged parallel to eachother across said structure between front and rear, said gates beingsuspended upon horizontal axes, the bottom of said structure behind saidgates being inclined rearwardly.

6. A game apparatus adapted to be used in the playing of games withballs and other elements, consisting of an open-fronted structure havingside and rear walls, a bottom having a raised level portion between thefront and rear, an inclined plane leading from said front to said levelportion, a pivoted gatesupport located between the front and rear ofsaid structure, means for normally locking the same in a verticalposition, and a plurality of independent gates suspended from saidsupport upon horizontal axes.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of June, 1902.

GEORGE E. MELLEN.

Witnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, A. C. ODELL.

